Would debate about a treaty with the First Australians endanger the success of the proposed referendum for their constitutional recognition – as Malcolm Turnbull claims? Very likely. But it can’t be avoided…

The Coalition has fundamentally altered the architecture of Indigenous policymaking and delivery since 2013.
AAP/Mick TsikasMay 27, 2016

Serious policy focus on Indigenous affairs has been notably absent during the early weeks of the long election campaign.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, constitutional change is about righting injustices inherent in the current recognition of difference, rather than promoting an agenda of sameness.
Michael Coghlan/FlickrMay 19, 2016

How many issues can be put to the Australian people for votes in a single year? This is a key question for the referendum to recognise First Australians in the constitution.

Marking the 30th anniversary of the handover of Uluru to its traditional owners, Bill Shorten reiterated the importance of constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.
AAP/Dan PeledOctober 25, 2015